The Department of Education has created yet another high-priced bureaucratic position, tapping an agency veteran as a senior deputy chancellor.
The DOE appointed Manhattan Executive Superintendent Marisol Rosales to serve in the post at a salary of $241,000 a year, officials said.
Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross-Porter will have Rosales focus on “academics, early childhood education, enrollment, school climate and wellness,” according to a DOE spokesperson.
The former physical education teacher and 28-year department veteran has served as an athletic director, assistant principal, and principal before assuming more senior administrative roles, the DOE said.
“As a lifelong educator, Marisol Rosales will be an invaluable advocate for New York City students and bring the school experience into our decision-making during this critical time,” said DOE spokesperson Danielle Filson.
But some critics questioned the latest enlargement of the DOE’s administrative ranks.
“Every chancellor has the right to make changes as they see fit,” said David Bloomfield, education professor at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center. “But this new level of bureaucracy seems to lack strong justification.”
The DOE said that Rosales will help “strengthen the connection” between First Deputy Chancellor Donald Conyers “and the field,” according to a statement.
But Bloomfield questioned how an additional administrative layer will shorten the bridge between Conyers and other DOE executives.
“The idea that another level of bureaucracy better connects him to the field is a paradox,” he said.
The DOE credited Rosales with recent improved graduation rates for African-American and Hispanic students in Manhattan under her leadership.
“Nothing is more important than connecting what is happening at the school level to our leaders at Central to ensure our students are getting what they need to succeed,” Rosales said in a statement.
“I look forward to leveraging my extensive experience within the DOE and working hand in hand with our talented Deputy Chancellors during the critical school year ahead.”